What is pancreatic cancer? The brutal disease that killed former Italy and Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli is one of the deadliest strains.

Former Italy striker Gianluca Vialli has died after a five-year battle with pancreatic cancer, it was revealed today.

The 58-year-old, who also played for Chelsea and Juventus during his successful career in the 1980s and 1990s, was hailed as a footballing pop star.

He was first diagnosed in 2017 with the difficult-to-detect cancer, one of the deadliest types. It also claimed the lives of actor Patrick Swayze, Alan Rickman and Apple founder Steve Jobs.

Vialli, one of the few men to hold the role of player-coach at a top club while at Chelsea, was sacked in 2020 after undergoing treatment at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital. But in 2021, his illness was reported again.

Gianluca Vialli with his wife Cathryn White-Cooper whom he married in August 2003

Vialli (L) with Italy coach Roberto Mancini (R) after their Euro 2021 final victory – there was love and friendship in this embrace

Vialli and Mancini when the pair played together at Italian club Sampdoria

DEATH: Gianluca Vialli achieved everything he wanted in the game and showed real class during his long battle with cancer. All of Italy mourns the death of a man who made a generation fall in love with football

Italian soccer legend Vialli died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 58

Former team-mates today paid emotional tributes to Vialli, who died surrounded by his family on Thursday night.

Graeme Souness broke down in tears as he paid emotional tribute to Vialli, who said he did not want to “burden other people” with his illness.

Pancreatic cancer, which affects the organ of the same name, has a five-year survival rate of about seven percent.

Rates have barely improved in the past 50 years, despite medical breakthroughs in other areas.

In comparison, skin cancer has a 90 percent 5-year survival rate.

Experts say one of the reasons it’s deadly is that it’s so hard to detect early and there’s no way to look for it.

Because it is so often caught late, the cancer can be difficult to treat once it has spread throughout the body.

But surgery — if the tumor is caught early and hasn’t spread — may be recommended.

Doctors may also recommend that a patient receive chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Around 9,000 Britons and 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year.

It accounts for approximately one in 20 cancer deaths in both countries.

Pancreatic cancer, an organ that produces insulin and chemicals needed to digest food, often causes no symptoms in its early stages.

And even when the cancer spreads, it can sometimes cause symptoms that may not be specific to pancreatic cancer—which can make diagnosis difficult.

These may include jaundice, itchy skin, dark urine, fatigue and fever. Abdominal and back pain and weight loss are other signs.

Sufferers may also have symptoms that affect their digestive system, such as loss of appetite, changes in their bowel movements, nausea or vomiting, and indigestion.

The 10-year survival rate for common cancers is now more than 50 percent, and experts say further improvements could be made over the next decade

While progress for cancer survival has been rapid for some forms of the disease, such as breast and prostate cancer, others, such as lung and pancreatic cancer, have improved at a snail’s pace

Pancreatic cancer, considered one of the deadliest on the planet, has also claimed the lives of actors Patrick Swayze (right), Alan Rickman (left) and Apple founder Steve Jobs

However, many of these symptoms are common and do not indicate pancreatic cancer.

Instead, it could be due to an inflamed pancreas known as pancreatitis, an ulcer, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome or hepatitis.

The severity of the cancer depends on where it is in the pancreas, how big it is, whether it has spread and a person’s general health.

It is often unclear what causes pancreatic cancer. But obesity, a diet high in red meat, too much alcohol and smoking are also risk factors.

Those over 75, those with chronic pancreatitis, and a family history of pancreatic cancer are also at higher risk.

Blood tests, scans and biopsies may be needed to diagnose the cancer.